U.S., S. Korea fire 8 missiles in response to N. Korean launches

SEOUL, June 6 (UPI) -- One day after North Korea launched a flurry of missiles, U.S. and South Korean combined forces responded with eight missiles of their own in a live-fire exercise early Monday morning.

The allies launched one U.S. Army missile and seven South Korean Army missiles from the northeast of the country into the sea, U.S. Forces Korea said in a statement.

The exercise was meant to "demonstrate the ability of the combined U.S.-ROK force to respond quickly to crisis events," the brief statement said. The Republic of Korea is the official name of South Korea.

North Korea on Sunday fired off eight short-range ballistic missiles into the sea between Korea and Japan from four different locations, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Pyongyang has conducted 18 rounds of weapons tests this year, including multiple intercontinental ballistic missile launches, and Seoul and Washington have warned that the secretive regime is poised for its first nuclear test since 2017.

The United States and South Korea conducted a similar live-fire drill on May 25 in response to a North Korean missile test.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office on May 10, has vowed to take a stronger stance against the North and on Monday warned that the threats from his country's nuclear-armed neighbor are becoming "more sophisticated."

"North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles are reaching a level that threatens peace not only on the Korean Peninsula, but also in Northeast Asia and the world," Yoon said in a speech marking South Korea's Memorial Day.

"Our government will respond decisively and sternly to any provocations from North Korea," Yoon said. "We will continue to equip ourselves with security capabilities. We will make sure there is no gap in protecting the lives and property of our people."

At a summit in Seoul last month with U.S. President Joe Biden, the two leaders reaffirmed Washington's "extended deterrence" posture and agreed to boost joint military exercises.

North Korea has long slammed the exercises as a rehearsal for an invasion and frequently reacts with a provocation of its own. Its missile launches on Sunday came one day after the United States and South Korea completed a three-day joint naval drill that included the USS Ronald Reagan, a 100,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

The exercise, which was held in international waters of the Philippine Sea, marked the first time the allies have mobilized an aircraft carrier since November 2017.